


The Art of Sex (and Ratings)

by Anonymous



Series: Steve Does Fanfiction [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Writing & Publishing, Art commentary?, Bruce Is a Good Bro, Dialogue-Only, Inspired by Fanfiction, M/M, Still not social commentary, They're writing for Ao3, poor steve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-02
Updated: 2014-09-02
Packaged: 2018-02-15 21:08:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2243571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After his conversation with Tony, Steve seeks out Bruce. Who offers a similar bit of advice that is actually very different on writing fanfiction.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Art of Sex (and Ratings)

“Unfortunately, sex does sell.”

“Even if no one is actually paying anything.”

“Even if no one is actually paying anything. People like sex, or rather, the idea of sex. Perfect sex, if you’re going to be technical. They like the idea of perfect sex.”

“And they like … reading about … perfect sex?”

“Oh, yeah. It’s sort of fascinating, if you think about it. Porn can’t really offer the ideal fantasy of perfect sex, for a variety of reasons – mostly because the majority of their audience is made up of extremely horny men who want to get off quickly to hard, noisy sex and over-the-top moani- Steve? Sorry, too much?”

“Just, uh, a bit. Let’s just … reading, uh, it. It’s different?”

“Yeah. Stories offer a range of different perspectives, because there are so many writers who have very different ideas of what constitutes a good time with sex. The _perfect_ scenario of sex. Sometimes it plays out just like porn, only with words; raunchy and dramatic and all but visual. Sometimes it’s more romantic, where the words of everything before build up the moment like foreplay, at the end giving the reader a climax along with the characters – sorry. I mean, er, mental climax? A satisfying sense of completion that isn’t usually physical. It doesn’t even have to be that descriptive, you know. Doesn’t even have to mention any sort of sexual word. _Those_ go beyond anything physical inside the story, beyond what the body feels and straight to the mind. PWP – porn without plot – that’ll get you hits, but if it’s going to make you feel like a sell-out to just write sex for a popularity build, or make you uncomfortable, then don’t do it. There are other ways.”

“To be honest, Bruce, I just … I don’t even know if I want to write sex in my stories. Imply it, maybe, and I mean _vaguely_ imply, but anything … hard? I don’t think I could … do that.”

“Then don’t.”

“But you just said sex sells.”

“And it does. But so does an amazing story. I don’t recall Harry Potter having a sex scene.”

“Twilight did.”

“Both fantastic series on their own merits, but which one do people generally like more?”

“…”

“Look, Steve. I’m not saying you shouldn’t _try_ branching out every now and then, try new things – every artist should. You’ve done nude drawings-.”

“That’s different-.”

“It’s really not, you know. Nudity is taboo, but your drawings make it beautiful. Thoughtful. Sensual instead of dirty. _Art_. Make it art. Just because Tony writes porn, just because your sex life may resemble porn – sorry! – doesn’t mean you have to and that doesn’t mean that’s all sex in a story can be.”

“… I didn’t … think of it like that. Like drawing. Like art.”

“Because you were thinking about it instead of trying it. It happens. Not unusual after talking with Tony, but it happens at other times, too. You also don’t have to rate it ‘E’.”

“Even if there’s sex?”

“Even if there’s sex. Ratings are really all blurred lines, based off the opinions of other people. On this site, “Not Rated” can be just as enticing as a noted high rating. It’s mysterious – it suggests there’s a possibility something could be there, but might not be there. If your summary’s good enough, or vague enough, if you have a _hook,_ readers really can’t resist that.”

“…Huh.”

“It’s not as complicated as it tries to be, or as Tony makes it appear to be.”

“What do you rate your stories?”

“My stories?”

“Yeah. Um, Tony said that, uh, you write … you write sex. _You don’t have to tell me about it._ Just … do you rate them? With the ‘E’?”

“Depends on what I write, really. I’ve written a PWP a couple of times I rated E because, well … it was PWP and I knew how to alert that audience to it. My longer ones, though … not so much. They’re about more than sex, contain _more than sex_ , even if they’re about sex. So I just leave them blank. Let people figure out why they’re reading it; trick a few people into reading it.”

“Like art.”

“Like art.”


End file.
